Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by DefenCorps:

Woo! First overnight race on the Chesapeake Bay in 2 years and I made it out OK. My head hurts and I'm sleep deprived, and what I need is a 12% beer. Yum.

A: Clear ruby red with a finger-thick dark beige head that's made of very fine bubbles.

S: Not really very quad like in that there's a strong sour cherry component. There's also some infection apparent, with lactic sourness present. The nose shows some oxidation with wet cardboard, I'm not really a fan of that aspect.

T: This is one infected beer. Holy crap. Opening up with a lactic sourness that's more reminiscent of a Oud Bruin, this is still very tasty though. Some cherry sweetness follows the sourness, and this medium bodied beer finishes lactic, sweet and tart and a metallic twang. No hint of alcohol.

M: Medium-full in body with excellent, smooth carbonation and a sour, lactic finish.

D: I would not peg this beer above 7%. Just so smooth and drinkable!

Notes: This is not a quad by any stretch of the imagination. However, I enjoyed the beer for what it's become, and for that reason, I reviewed it positively

The Extra pours a fairly clear, deep chestnut and ruby body beneath a creamy head of tan that holds quite well and leaves some very nice 'mountains' of lace rising up above the liquid.

The aroma expresses dark - both the fruit and the bitter-ish skins: plum/prune, fig, raisin, etc. There's a sugary side to it like you find in dried fruits. And there's a little bit of earthiness to it as well: mushrooms, underbrush, rotting wood.

In the mouth it's surprisingly creamy and smooth, delicately carbonated, and medium-full bodied with a dextrinous edge.

The flavor is rich, and more full and deep than bright. The dark fruitiness and subtle, supple spiciness is what it's all about. It's malty, but not clearly caramelish. The dark fruity notes also turn away, although they're clearly present. Yeasty minerals and earthiness cover the malt and fruit in a thin, form-fitting veil. A delicate spiciness is present, and makes itself known mainly in the finish, along with some leafy, and perhaps spicy, hops. Or is that the alcohol that's lending to the spice? If it is, that's about all that it shows of itself.

It's really quite remarkable! ~ Oh so rounded! So perfectly balanced! And so flavorful, but in an understated manor. With just the tiniest bit of funkiness in its woody, earthy, mineralish character. Complex and compelling! Worth seeking out!

Creamy, tiny-bubbled lace; with a swirl, this beer shows some legs and a deep reddish hue. Suggestions of alcohol- soaked raisins, coconut, clove and wildflowers awaken the nostrils. Smooth slickness on a full body. Malty, but semidry with a tartness up front and some rum raisin flavors in the back. Fresh-toasted grain and modest hops field the rest of the palate. A very well-hidden 12 percent, with only a slight warmth. Easily a tasty brunch beer or a nightcap. Belgian fans, hunt this one down.

On tap at Local Option. Past the abv line for Belgian yeasts I think. Orange and fruity, yet sour and astringent finish. Booze warming. Aroma neutral. Mouthfeel plus but sour and astringent.Not a great representative of the style. Not very drinkable.

There is a great write-up on this Stasegem micro-brewery over at the BelgianBeerBoard - including some video footage of the tavern itself and the brewmaster, a young woman named Gudrun. Worth a watch. In any case, on to the review:

Best before March, 2012. Poured from a 330mL bottle into my Trappist Westvleteren chalice.

Liquid is quite cloudy, changing from deep carmine to rust depending on the angle of the light, often suffused with a bright glow. A thin creamy pearl head forms, flanked by a lasting ridge like an event-horizon. Slow moving cakey lacing and delicate tears from the high ABV coat the sides.

A big dose of esters and malt in the nose - brandied raisins, spelt, and an undercurrent of yeast.

Quite a unique flavor profile with buckwheat, sour apples, and cherry pits on the palate entry. Tart and bitter tastes finally compromise with an array of melanoidins leading into a dry, lightly bready finish with further waves of tart fruit. Hushed tones of wild fermentation seems to be at play as well, as there is something about this that almost reminds me of Orval for just a brief moment.

Medium-bodied, and crisp, despite the alcohol which is mostly detectable through flavor rather than heat.

A nice change of pace for the style - still traditional, but much more dry and a bit tart compared to many other examples.

A: Deep reddish body, with a light tan head. Good formation and retention, leaves a frothy layer and little lacing. Lighter end of the spectrum in the body.

S: Aroma of plum and roasted malts, good levels of sweetness and no hop presence. The slight note of a wild character.

TM: Very light in all aspects. The flavor has a classic note Belgian quad, but all are very low in esters and plum and currant flavors. Mouthfeel is very crisp and quite refreshing. Lingering taste is fairly short. Funky character is at low levels and is very approachable.

O: Overall a very low end intensity, well balanced brew. This has 12% ABV, very well hidden, but not what truly defines the style.

Looks quite dark, smells bready, thin head. Tastes bready and raison. Nice candy sugar finish. Its a nice belgian strong. For the price 4.99$ its a good buy. Packs a punch and tastes pretty good. Seriously raisony though. I am new to the rating thing and now I see what raison tastes like in a beer. A touch syrupy. The distributer is new to the state of maine, I will buy this again if I feel like packing a quick buzz. Almost no trace of alcohol at 12% can't complain.

Picked up a single at Abe's Cold Beer for $5.25. The label read "EXTRA" and that's just the exported name. Very interesting. This doesn't just follow the typical quad lines of smooth caramel malts. Instead it starts with a mix of dry lemon with tart raspberries, then cocoa and toffee with a very mild earthy mustiness. The aroma is a little cleaner than the flavor with dry, earthy cocoa and a grape juice note. Finishes with a tart juicy feel, sort of like drinking cranberry juice, and no hint of alcohol. I'd like the flavors here to be richer, but this is still tasty and very easy to drink Belgian.

Poured into a snifter. Slightly sour smell--almost reminding me of apple cider vinegar. A rich, cloudy brown with a very slight white head that disappears rather quickly. Drinks almost flat, but I don't really mind. No lacing whatsoever. Taste starts sour with apple, plum and raisins coming through before moving into an earthy middle, characteristic of Belgian yeast. An exceptionally dry finish to this beer with only the most subtle hint of booziness that occasionally plagues other quads. I like it, but I tend to like sour tastes in just about every style. Would have liked more mouthfeel and aroma, just more carbonation in general. Still, a sour quad...delicious.

Served from tap into a Trappe Door tulip. Poured a reddish brown with a three finger khaki colored head that subsided to one finger very slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, dark fruit, tart, and fruit. The flavor was of sweet malt, dark fruit, subtle tart, fruit, and bread. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a fairly good brew. The tart aspect I picked up on in this one was a little off-putting when combined with the rest of the aspects going on in this brew. It just really felt out of place for me. The rest of the brew was fairly good, but definitely not awe-inspiring unfortunately. I really would suggest this brew to others out there and I suggest you do the same regardless of the off-putting tart character.

Poured into a Duvel glass a burnt crimson tone with a slim cap of tan foam. Served fairly cold, based on others' descriptions of gushing bottles, but this one was pretty tame. Vinous white wine with some raisin and boozy phenols behind it. More wine like elements in the flavor, honey, orange peel, and some grape aftertaste and a sticky residue on the lips. Not as sweet as most Quads, there was a low level fruity tartness that was welcome. Finish was slightly dry, with the lingering taste of grape jelly. A full bodied sipper that wasn't too sweet or syrupy. Good stuff.

11.2 ounce bottle. Served in a snifter, the beer pours a murky copper/brown color with about a half inch off-white head. Head retention and lacing are both decent. Aroma is cherries, plums, cinnamon, yeast, and raisins. The brew tastes like tart berries and apples, dark fruit, bready malt, and some earthy/herbal hops. Nice mix between the tart and sweet flavors, although I think the sweet flavors are a bit stronger. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy with good carbonation. Drinkability is good, it's easy and enjoyable to drink. Also, the 12% ABV isn't noticable at all when drinking it, but it hits you a bit afterwards. I think it's a good brew, it's worth a try.